There are countless Mauritius cruise programs and speedboat trips available to you in addition to a beach vacation. In fact, a simple 10-day or two-week vacation is almost not enough to explore the entire island, but we have collected for you a few unmissable cruise tours that you can find on the island.
If you come to the island for a week-long vacation, be sure to include land excursions and at least one water tour.
There is room for more in 10-day or 2-week vacations, and more active vacationers can even go on trips to the island’s various attractions every other day.
For cruises, there are also speed boat and catamaran tours. Speed boats typically accommodate 8-12 people, while catamarans accommodate 30-40. On Open water the speedboat are much more quicker and they can ride waves, so it’s much more comfortable, than catamaran (although it’s more expensive).
What kind of cruises are there in Mauritius?
Northern Islands (Flat Island, Gabriel Island and Coin de Mire)
Starting from the north, you can spend an unforgettable day on Flat Island and Gabriel Island! Enjoy the white sandy beaches and admire the underwater world; in my opinion, snorkeling is the best here, the wildlife is unparalleled.
On Cruise and speedboat trips, they provide you with food and drinks, including alcoholic beverages! Lunch is mostly BBQ chicken, fish and sausages, with salad, rice and garlic baguette, but you can also pay for an excursion where they grill crabs, lobsters and serve champagne. It’s up to you what you choose… 🙂
After snorkeling and eating, on the way back you will pass by the wonderful Coin de Mire (Gunner’s Quoin), where you will stop in a small bay and admire the underwater wildlife of this island.
I think this cruise is the most private of all of them. There is a strong current between the two islands, which is really tiring if you swim against it. It’s a much better option to walk along the beach, go into the water, and let the current take you down to where the boats are.
If you want to take part in a boat trip to the northern islands, you can find great options on GetYourGuide: click here!
Turtle watching
Watch sea turtles in their natural habitat! This boat trip includes snorkeling at the coral reef near Trou aux Biches, where you can discover the marine life of Mauritius.
It is a short 1.5-2 hour boat trip that you should not miss. You do not need to book the turtle watching program in advance, just go to the Trou aux Biches public beach on the northwest side and ask the boatmen there how much they would take you.
It’s a great experience to swim with turtles (the captain will ask you to stay in one place and let the turtle go around), but make sure your trip takes you to snorkel outside of the reefs at Trou aux Biches. That place is like a different planet! You won’t be disappointed.
Choose the best option, you can even bargain during the off-season. If you want to make sure, you can book here.
Swimming with dolphins
You can swim with dolphins out in the open water, then snorkel and see the famous Crystal Rock. After you are well tired, you will dock at Benitiers Island, where they will prepare an authentic BBQ for you, which usually includes chicken, fish, salad, rice and garlic baguette as a side dish.
(Attention! The dolphin watching program is currently only available as a half-day program, Benitiers Island is currently closed to tourists to preserve nature. We will update the article as soon as it is open again.)
The dolphin watching cruise and speedboat trips start from the area of Flic en Flac, Tamarin and Le Morne, the dolphins mostly swim in Tamarin Bay. If your accommodation is on the other side of the island, you will also find trips here that are available with a transfer.
It’s an experience of a lifetime! It’s like a program from Animal Planet. Do not chase the dolphins; if they are in the mood that day, they will come around and check you out. 🙂 You won’t forget it!
The snorkel place between Tamarin and Benitiers Island is like an aquarium! That’s my favorite stop on this trip. You will see so many different kind of fish.
Unwind on Ile aux Cerfs!
Île aux Cerfs is one of the most peaceful and comfortable cruise and speedboat trips in Mauritius. We also recommend it for small children. Boats depart from Trou d’Eau Douce on the east side of the island to Ile aux Cerfs.
After a short 2-hour cruise, you will sail up the Grand River, meet the macaques living in the valley, and then see the GRSE waterfall.
Then you will sail back to the other side of Île aux Cerfs, where you will be treated to an authentic BBQ. Here you can eat and drink to your heart’s content, which is included in the price of the excursion. From there, you will be taken back to Trou d’Eau Douce around 2:30-2:30 in the afternoon.
The island is beautiful, and it has a chill vibe! You won’t be disappointed, but don’t forget this is one of the most popular places in Mauritius, so you will never be alone. It’s a busy place, but luckily you won’t feel crowded.
You can request the program with or without a transfer. I think it is worth booking in advance and requesting transportation, as such a full-day boat trip can be very tiring.
You can choose from the program organizers by clicking here and book the one that suits you best.
5 Islands Cruise
This is often confused with the 3 islands in the northern islands, or they think that they are the same islands, but I have to disappoint you. 🙂 This is a completely different cruise and speedboat trips.
You will visit 5 islands on the eastern side of Mauritius, including Ilé aux Cerfs. This is a boat trip full of exciting experiences, you will see the lighthouse of Ile aux Fouquets, among others, and you will also have the opportunity to go dolphin watching and snorkeling near the small island.
During the tour, you can have cocktails and ask for refreshments at the stops, so it is highly recommended to take this trip with a transfer. You will have a tiring but exciting day if you choose the 5 Islands tour.
Here you can look into it better and choose what kind of service you want. Private tour, or group tour? Lobster lunch, or authentic local BBQ dishes? It’s up to you.
Sunset watching
A wonderful romantic program, but even if you are not looking for romance, it is still recommended, because watching the sunset from the ocean is an unforgettable experience, and every sunsets are different.
Is it possible to get bored of sunsets?
No way! We’ve been living on the island for 3 years and it still amazes us as much as the first day.
The catamaran They mostly depart from Grand Bay, and you can also choose a sunset viewing program where you can have dinner and drinks, or party on the boat.
How do you decide? A quiet romantic getaway or an exciting party at sunset? 🙂 You can look into it better here!
The Cruise and speedboat tripslisted above are the basic programs that you would be sorry to miss if you come for a vacation. If you browse GetYourGuide, you can also find tours to various smaller islands; whichever one you choose, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Amber Island, for example, is a nature reserve, where they try to preserve the original ecosystem of Mauritius. You can also hike on the island and meet the giant tortoises in their original habitat.
You can get to Amber Island by speedboat or sailboat, but to disturb the wildlife as little as possible, the brave ones should go here by kayak. You can watch the kayak tour here.
I hope we helped you with the tips and everyone can find the boat trip that suits them best! Enjoy yourself, have a nice holiday and explore!
